Schwerin: the city of the seven lakes and artistic flair.

Schwerin has just short of 100,000 residents, making it Germany's smallest state capital. It enjoys a picture-perfect location among a series of lakes that reflect both the passing clouds in the northern sky and the city's most famous landmark, Schwerin Castle. A fitting landmark: light, airy, bright and welcoming – just like the city itself.

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Records dating back as far as 965 AD show evidence of a castle built on a freshwater lake in what historians believe to be Schwerin. However, it was only after 1160 that the city was actually established and the castle rebuilt in the shape of the now eminent Schwerin Castle. Just a few years later saw the completion of the first cathedral, the only medieval building in Schwerin to have survived the centuries, albeit in various guises. This first cathedral soon had to be torn down due to lack of space, with only its tower spared. The Romanesque episcopal church consecrated in 1248 also soon proved inadequate after Count Henry of Schwerin returned from the Crusades alleged to be carrying a drop of Jesus Christ's blood – the Holy Blood relic. The church eventually needed a holding area to cope with crowds of pilgrims. This gave rise to the new cathedral in 1270, which subsequently became one of the foremost pilgrimage churches in the north-east of the German empire. Today, Schwerin is known by many names: city of the seven lakes, Florence of the North, cathedral city and royal seat. All are apt because Schwerin successfully combines nature and architecture, artworks great and small, plus reminders of its long history. As visitors cross the cobbled market square, explore the narrow lanes, admire the historical buildings in the central Schelfstadt quarter or let their gaze fall on the incredibly beautiful castle, they will soon realise that there is plenty to see and do in Schwerin.

The castle is the city's most famous landmark and perches on an island between Lake Schwerin and Lake Burgsee as if taken from the pages of a fairytale. Besides the castle gardens, the best places to visit nearby include the State Museum, the Victory Column, the Old Palace, the royal stables and the neo-classical State Chancellery. The city also has plenty to offer by way of culture, with a wide range of performances staged at the Mecklenburg State Theatre – an establishment that comprises numerous venues including the Konzertfoyer, E-Werk, the werk3 theatre bar and, last but not least, the puppet theatre. But the highlight of the cultural calendar has to be the magnificent castle theatre festival, an opera festival of international acclaim. Year after year, tens of thousands of culture lovers flock to Schwerin to enjoy works from Puccini through to Verdi performed against the magical backdrop of the castle gardens or inside the castle courtyard.

The Schwerin State Museums are also worthy of a capital city. The Gallery of Old and New Masters houses collections of Flemish and Dutch paintings from the 16th to the 18th century, as well as conceptual artworks by Marcel Duchamp.

The city boasts a prestigious calendar of events. Schwerin is the proud host of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Festival, as well as the Filmkunstfest film festival and the Parade of the 'Weisse Flotte' boats that take place in May. The pottery market, Five Lakes Run, Christopher Street Day and dragon boat festival are held in June or July, and are followed by the Old Town festival, the wine festival and the Schwerin literary festival. The year ends on a high note with the Mäkelborg Christmas market. Schwerin packs a lot in for such a small city, and everyone is looking forward to the start of the next season – and to the many visitors who come back year after year. Hopefully next time you'll be one of them.

A wonder of nature: Schwerin's lakeland region

Schwerin lies in a densely wooded lakeland region on the shores of Lake Schwerin, and a number of other lakes including the Burgsee, Fauler See, Grimkesee, Heidensee, Grosser Karausche, Lankower See, Medeweger See, Neumühler See, Ostorfer See, Pfaffenteich and Ziegelsee. Lake Schwerin is one of Germany's largest lakes, the Ziegelsee is known for its sailing and the Ostorfer lake is a great location for swimming. The conditions here are ideal for a host of other water sports too, and the region has some of the most spectacular unspoilt countryside that is well worth exploring.

From the pages of a fairytale: Schwerin Castle

Sitting in splendour in a romantic location on a small, picturesque island in Lake Schwerin, Schwerin Castle was the residence of the Dukes and Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg for many centuries and is one of the finest examples of historicist architecture in Europe – together with the surrounding lake, this fairytale fortress with its domes, towers and turrets is one of the most photographed attractions in the region. It also houses an unmissable museum. Visitors will enjoy walking through the castle gardens, which are laid out in the style of an English country garden, and around the baroque gardens. Read more

Devoted to art: Schleswig-Holstein House

Since 1995, this historical brick-built house from 1737 has accommodated an exhibition and events centre for culturally minded visitors.

Sculpture, photography and painting are regularly on display here. The main focus is on exhibitions of 20th century art. In addition to well-known international names such as Dalí, Ernst, Matisse, Miró, Hundertwasser, Janssen and Goya, the museum presents the work of regional artists. The programme also features readings by authors and chamber music.

From another time: the historic Schelfstadt quarter

Set in the heart of a wonderful lakeland region, Germany's smallest state capital has an impressive wealth of culture and historical architecture. This is particularly true of the Schelfstadt district. Centrally located to the south of Ziegelsee lake and the east of Pfaffenteich lake, it has the town's largest ensemble of historical buildings. Duke Friedrich Wilhelm had the area systematically laid out as a new town in 1705. At the highest point of the Schelfstadt quarter stands the Schelfkirche church, which is well worth the visit alone.

Gallery of Old & New Masters

The Gallery of Old & New Masters in Schwerin is home to Germany's most comprehensive collection of 17th and 18th century Dutch paintings.

It features an impressive selection of printed and hand-crafted works, Ernst Barlach sculptures donated by the Bölkow Foundation and Germany's largest collection of Marcel Duchamp works. In its unity of architecture and collection, the gallery is unlike any other museum in Germany. The permanent collection is complemented by special exhibitions of historical and contemporary art.